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Judges at last weekend's Campionato Mondiale Della Pizza (Pizza World Championship) held in Parma, Italy, awarded the world's top margherita pizza title to Australian chef Johnny Di Francesco, owner of the 400 Gradi restaurant in Brunswick, a Melbourne suburb.

Di Francesco, 36, beat more than 600 competitors from 35 countries to take home the Specialita Traditionale Garantita pizza prize in the annual competition.

The win and subsequent publicity has made the small restaurant he owns in his hometown an overnight sensation.

"It's been an amazing reaction," Di Francesco tells CNN. "Honestly, I just went to Naples to do what I love. I didn't think it was going to make such a stir."

soundoff(25 Responses)

VegasSmitty

If its not NY Pizza in NY its not Pizza.

April 16, 2014 at 5:13 pm |

Montello

There is a little Italian restaurant in Essaouira, Morocco, which has, bar none, the best pizza I've ever experienced anywhere. The rest of the menu is world class, too. We stayed in Essaouira for a week last year and tried the Italian restaurant the first night on the advice of a local. We never ate anywhere else! Simply incredible. It's run by a second generation (to Morocco) family from Genoa. Darned if I can remember its name, but its the only Italian joint in town.

April 16, 2014 at 4:08 pm |

AltaPetens

Pizza Rock: Las Vegas. It has several different ovens going different temperatures to make the various pies. The cracker thin Chicago pizza with corn meal making it even crispier is awesome!

April 16, 2014 at 3:42 pm |

Squinty Eye

Cracker thin Chicago pizza? What are you, an oxymoron?

April 16, 2014 at 5:49 pm |

palintwit

"Roadkill Pizza and Fish Bait Emporium" in Wasilla, Alaska. Home of the greatest political family our nation has ever known.
"The Palins" !!

April 16, 2014 at 1:22 pm |

joe d

alaska welfare state of all states, and home to the palins, i can see russia from my house. what a joke .

April 16, 2014 at 4:30 pm |

Michael

Check the facts...

The basis for the line was Governor Palin's 11 September 2008 appearance on ABC News, her first major interview after being tapped as the vice-presidential nominee. During that appearance, interviewer Charles Gibson asked her what insight she had gained from living so close to Russia, and she responded: "They're our next-door neighbors, and you can actually see Russia from land here in Alaska, from an island in Alaska":

April 16, 2014 at 6:00 pm |

Voter@Michael

Now Michael, don't confuse libs with fact, you know that their minds are far too undeveloped to understand...

New Haven has the world's best pizza. Pepe's, Sally's, and Modern are a triumvirate that can't be beat. Even New Yorkers admit that New Haven's coal fired brick oven pizza is the worlds best.

April 16, 2014 at 12:12 am |

Jennifer

You polled all New Yorkers?

April 16, 2014 at 3:12 pm |

joe d

now weasel you might have something here, i heard about pepe's white clam pizza for a long time now , and believe me your on my list , i live north of boston and its a 2 to 21/2 hour ride , but i will make the trip and i will eat a large white clam pizza with a pitcher of beer by myself ! bucket list.

April 16, 2014 at 4:37 pm |

JackieA

twin trees syracuse ny... nice and greasy and delectable.....

April 15, 2014 at 10:18 pm |

Lou Buc

Sorry, the best always was and always will be Pepe's brick oven, thin crust, in New Haven, Connecticut... No contest – all those smart Yalies simply cannot be wrong!

April 15, 2014 at 9:50 pm |

svann

It may not be "world's best" but if you get a chance try the lobster pizza appetizer at Red Lobster. awesome!

April 15, 2014 at 8:49 pm |

Mario

Anything other than thin crust with pepperoni does not even deserve to be called pizza.

April 15, 2014 at 3:20 pm |

Mark L

I take it, since the award was from Italy, that this is true Italian pizza and not American pizza. Cause then its found in Brooklyn. No contest. Pick almost any one and it will be beter than anywhere in the rest of the country. And to clarify, a lot of the pizza shops in NJ, PA and CT are opened by pizza makers who move from Brooklyn so they can have thier own shop